Welcome to Western Connecticut State University’s Nursing Program!

Western’s Nursing begins in a student’s second-year sequence, or the student’s sophomore year. This provides the students with three full years of nursing courses. We offer smaller class sizes and faculty are readily accessible to students. Western’s nursing department has affiliations with many health care agencies in the greater Danbury,Waterbury and New Haven areas. WCSU nursing has one of the highest pass rates for the NCLEX in Connecticut. Our graduates have gone on to be very successful in many areas of nursing and are sought after by many employers in Connecticut.

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions regarding our program.

The (baccalaureate degree program in nursing/master’s degree program in nursing/Doctor of Nursing Practice program and/or post-graduate APRN certificate program) at Western Connecticut State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S)

Students who graduate with a B.S. degree in Nursing from Western will possess the following learning outcomes. They will be able to:

Synthesize knowledge from the arts, sciences, and humanities with nursing theory as the basis for making nursing proactive decisions.

Exercise critical thinking in using the nursing process to assess, diagnose, plan, implement, and evaluate the care provided to individuals, families and communities.

Apply the nursing process to design, implement, and evaluate therapeutic nursing interventions to provide preventive, curative, supportive, and restorative care for individuals, families, and communities in both structures and unstructured settings, using a variety of techniques.

Use a variety of communication techniques, including written documentation, in the process of assessment, counseling, and therapeutic interventions with individual clients, families, groups and communities.

Develop and implement a variety of teaching-learning strategies in the provision of health teaching for individuals, families, and groups in a variety of settings.

Use the process of scientific inquiry and research findings to improve nursing care delivery.

Use leadership, management, and collaborative skills as a member of a multidisciplinary team within the health care delivery system to develop implement, and evaluate health care provided to clients.

Exercise independent judgment and ethical decision-making, and act as an advocate for consumers of health care services.

Demonstrate accountability in learning and in nursing actions, based on accepted standards of nursing care and in accordance of professional nursing practice.

Admission

Students interested in majoring in nursing at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) must complete a dual admission process. Initially, students must be accepted into the University as pre- nursing. Once accepted into the University, application for admission to the Department of Nursing (DON) is made at the beginning of the spring semester of the Freshman year. Applications are available on-line or in the nursing department at the end of December and due to the Nursing Office the first Monday of February. Incomplete or late applications will not be reviewed by the Department of Nursing.
All students must be admitted to the university prior to applying for admission to the nursing major. The applicant pool is not limited to pre-nursing students. The decision to admit an applicant to the Nursing major is made by the Department of Nursing.

Admission to nursing is competitive with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 being the minimum considered for acceptance. Students are ranked according to GPA and successful completion of all prerequisites. Qualified students may not be accepted because of a limited number of clinical placements and limited Department of Nursing resources. Admission is limited to 60-85 students.

In evaluating students for acceptance into the nursing program the following criteria are used: GPA, evaluation of overall academic record including number of course withdrawals, prerequisite course failures, and academic success at other colleges and universities. Students must earn at least a C in the four science prerequisite courses (BIO 105, 106, and CHE 120, 121). Sciences cannot be more than 5 years old. Consistent with WCSU admission requirements, preference is given to those candidates who, in the judgment of the DON, have academic and personal qualifications with the greatest potential for program success.

Applicants must have successfully completed or be enrolled in the following courses:

Writing Intensive Course (W)

COM 162 Interpersonal Communication

PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology

SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology

BIO 105 and BIO 106 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better

CHE 120 and CHE 121 or equivalent with a grade of “C” or better

Students are ineligible to apply for admission to the WCSU nursing program if they have been dismissed for either academic or clinical reasons from another nursing program.
Students newly accepted into the program must adhere to the Health Policies of the DON. The following information must be submitted on or before June 1 prior to starting nursing classes.

Current health form

Results of either PPD skin test or chest x-ray or quantiferrin blood test

Students without documentation of health requirements and/or CPR certification will not be allowed to participate in clinical experiences.
Transfer students coming into the University must first apply to the admissions department and must meet the same standards listed above. Western students wishing to change their major to Nursing must apply to the department for admission to the Nursing major and must meet the same requirements as pre-nursing students. Please refer to the above criteria.

Retention

In order to remain in the Nursing program, students must earn at least a “C” grade in all courses with a NUR 200 or NUR 300 designation and BIO 215. **Please be reminded that sophomore nursing students who are transitioning between the fall and spring semester are required to complete a Medication Math Test and must pass with > 85**.

In order to remain in the Nursing program, nursing students must fulfill academic requirements and must also show evidence of meeting the behavioral objectives (cognitive, psychomotor and affective) of preparation for professional nursing as described and distributed in each nursing course with a NUR 200 and NUR 300 designation.

A student who receives a grade of “C-” or lower in a NUR 200 or NUR 300 level Nursing course, whose cumulative grade point average has dropped below 2.50, who has withdrawn from a NUR 200 or NUR 300 level nursing course, who has taken a leave of absence from the Nursing program (whether medical or otherwise), or who has withdrawn from the Nursing program must apply for readmission to the Nursing program. The student may be readmitted to the program provided that, in the judgment of the Nursing faculty, the student meets the criteria for readmission.

Any student who receives more than one course grade below “C” in any of the NUR courses will not be readmitted to the Nursing program. In addition, any student who has for any reason reapplied and been admitted and then subsequently withdrawn or fails, will not be allowed to reapply a second time.

Students who demonstrate an unsafe level of patient care will not be permitted to continue in the clinical area.

Under provisions of Public Act 86-365, students whose ability to function is impaired or who have engaged in unethical or illegal acts, or whose behavior does not conform to accepted standards of the Nursing profession may jeopardize their eligibility for obtaining or retaining professional nurse licensure in the State of Connecticut. (A copy of the act with explanatory material is available for review in the department office.) Such conduct or behavior may also be grounds for disciplinary action, including suspension or dismissal from the program, by the Nursing faculty or departmental administrator.

Graduation

The student must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 based on at least 120 credits earned.

The student must have at least a “C” grade in all 200- and 300-level Nursing courses.

The student must have sustained evidence of academic and behavioral characteristics acceptable for professional nursing as set forth in the philosophy and learning outcomes of the Department of Nursing.